Elderflower Cordial
From Gastronaut BBC Books
There’s a moment in every year, just at the point that spring thinks that it might actually be summer, when everything is right with the world, and you realize that you are going to be living outside for the next four months. It’s also that brief moment when elderflowers are ripe for plucking. You can tell, because if you tap a spray of elder, a small cloud of pollen will escape. They make a wonderful floral cordial that’s extremely simple to do, very concentrated and that freezes very well, so it seems criminal not to make use of them.
Elder grows in hedgerows across the country – canal-sides are often rich picking-grounds. Keep an eye out for the flattish heads of yellowy-white flowers. When you get close to them you will notice that they are highly perfumed, so sniff a few different trees until you find the right one. The flowering season is quite short so you must catch them before they start to turn brown and go rotten on the branch. If you find them well past their best don’t persevere – I’ve used them in desperation in the past but the results tasted rather revolting.
